Lincoln Kienholz is not afraid of competition.
Before he joined the Buckeyes’ 2023 class as a four-star quarterback out of Pierre, South Dakota, Kienholz remembers hearing a challenge from Ohio State quarterbacks coach Corey Dennis.
“The best player’s going to come in and play,” Kienholz told The Dispatch. “He said I have to take a chance on it, and I have to bet on myself. Him and coach (Ryan) Day said that.”
“The thing that I kind of look at is me going in and working hard and getting the job,” Kienholz added. “And then just kind of going from there because I know that I can perform at the highest level, and I really do have confidence in that.”
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Dylan Raiola ends OSU commitment:2024 five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola ends Ohio State football commitment
Kienholz entered an Ohio State quarterbacks picture that has now completely changed.
Saturday, five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, the No. 1 player in the 2024 class, rescinded his Ohio State commitment and re-opened his recruitment, leaving the Buckeyes without a quarterback after Kienholz.
Where do coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes stand at the quarterback position? Here’s a summary.
Who does Ohio State football have at quarterback heading into the 2023 season?
While quarterback CJ Stroud has not officially announced whether the 2022 season would be his last at Ohio State, it is expected that the Buckeyes’ starter is off to the NFL after the College Football Playoffs.
With Stroud’s departure, Ohio State would be left with two scholarship quarterbacks heading into the spring: Kyle McCord and Devin Brown, with Kienholz not enrolling until the summer.
In 12 games across two seasons, McCord, a former five-star quarterback in the 2021 class, has completed 70.7% of his 58 pass attempts for 606 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Brown, Ohio State’s four-star quarterback in the 2022 class, who flipped to the Buckeyes from Southern California, appeared in two games as a freshman, getting one rushing yard on one carry.
In 2022, Ohio State also had walk-on quarterbacks Mason Maggs out of Dublin Coffman and Chad Ray from Dublin Scioto.
Which quarterbacks have Ohio State offers in the 2024 and 2025 classes?
According to 247Sports, Raiola is one of four quarterbacks the Buckeyes have offers out to in the 2024 class.
Ohio State has also offered five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis, the No. 3 quarterback in the class, along with re-classified LSU commit Colin Hurley, who threw for Day and Dennis at a recruiting camp this summer, and Auburn commit Adrian Posse.
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Ohio State also offered 2025 Findlay quarterback Ryan Montgomery, the brother of 2023 offensive line commit Luke Montgomery, who has offers from Georgia, Notre Dame, Michigan and Penn State – among others.
“I think we’re all surprised of how the outcome was, especially at home, but it will only fuel the fire for (Ohio State) once again,” Ryan Montgomery told The Dispatch after attending the Ohio State vs. Michigan game. “Excited to keep building the relationship with the coaching staff and learning more.”
After Raiola’s decommitment Saturday, Ohio State also offered 2025 quarterback Bryce Underwood out of Belleville, Michigan.
Ohio State football schedule 2023
Here’s what Ohio State’s 2023 football schedule looks like.
- Sept. 2: Ohio State vs. Indiana, Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
- Sept. 9: Ohio State vs. Youngstown State, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Sept. 16: Ohio State vs. Western Kentucky, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- Sept. 23: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
- October 7: Ohio State vs. Maryland, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- October 14: Ohio State vs. Purdue, Ross-Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
- October 21: Ohio State vs. Penn State, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- October 28: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin, Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
- November 4: Ohio State vs. Rutgers, SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
- November 11: Ohio State vs. Michigan State, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
- November 18: Ohio State vs. Minnesota, Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
- November 25: Ohio State vs. Michigan, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
